Wardown Park House

WARDOWN PARK 1. 5123 Wardown Park House TL 02 SE 6/3 II

2. Substantial country house of 1876 in neo vernacular style by T C Sorby. Luton grey bricks with light brown stone dressings, moulded red brick and terra cotta detailing; new clay tile roof with a few fishscale survivals, also finials and crested ridges. An irregular but compact plan of 2 storeys and attics with a variety of gables, roof slopes and neo-Tudor chimneys, mostly in threes, some linked and patterned. West entrance front has portecochere in classical style. Heavy pierced parapet with corner panels over projecting cornice. Triple fluted pilasters at external corners with long narrow swags in between. Three external arches have six heads in spandrels, of famous statesmen including Gladstone and Disraeli. Mullioned and transomed central bay window above portecochere, with five flower pattern parged panels over five lights. Jettied gable above, with prominent moulded bargeboards, fishscale tile hanging in apex, three leaded lights in panels of flower pattern parging. To left of portecochere is two storey bay with three sided hipped roof having blind gablets filled with terracotta scallops. Similar bay to right of entrance. Both have inscriptions above first floor windows. South garden front has gable end at left hand; to its right is a forward projecting gable with similar treatment to that over west entrance, over a single storey bay window. At right hand is two storey bay window. East elevation is in two parts. Left hand large gable; right hand section has red brick bands, on left gable with projecting bargeboards arranged as a truss, on right smaller gabled dormer with stone dressings. Now used as Luton Museum and Art Gallery.

Listing NGR: TL0892722970